Labor Day weekend begins in earnest with “Aquapalooza” (7 p.m., CMT), a waterside concert starring Alan Jackson and a cast of thousands of spectators and boaters who showed up to hear songs from Jackson’s 20-year career, including his party favorites “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Good Time.” “Aquapalooza” was taped in late July on Lake Martin in Alabama.
• USA kicks off a “Monk” (USA) marathon beginning at 5 a.m. and running through 10 p.m. Over at SyFy, a “Eureka” marathon will run from 7 a.m. through 5 a.m. Saturday.
• Fans of “Supernanny” (7 p.m., ABC) don’t have to wait until Friday anymore. Repeats of the series, starring Jo Frost, will air every night of the week on Style, beginning tonight (6 p.m., Style).
• With shows like “Supernanny,” both ABC and Style are clearly aiming at a female audience.
According to one expert I recently spoke with, the tough economy and advertising climate has hurt male-centric networks more than most.
Shows geared toward women tend to attract ads for household goods and products that people can’t do without — food, clothes and cleaning products.
Male shows attracted the ads for the very things, big cars, SUVs and trucks, that have taken a hit in the economy.
Could that be why the schedule on “Guy” networks seem so gloomy heading into Labor Day 2009? I’m no therapist, but if I knew somebody watching Spike all day and night, I’d worry.
They’re offering “1000 Ways to Die” (12 p.m., Spike), followed by “Sniper” (1 p.m.), “Sniper 2” (3 p.m.) and “Sniper 3” (5 p.m.).
Prime-time’s no picnic in guyville, either. Spike wants viewers to revel in Sylvester Stallone’s dark, violent Vietnam betrayal fantasies in “First Blood” (7 p.m., Spike) and “Rambo: First Blood Part II” (9 p.m., Spike).
Over on Discovery, the pickings are just as grim. “Explosions Gone Wrong” (7 p.m., Discovery) leads into “Meth Nation” (8 p.m., Discovery), followed by a “Cocaine Nation” (9 p.m., Discovery) chaser.
Stroll over to the History Channel, and you’ve got three helpings of “Lock N’ Load with R. Lee Ermey” (8 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m.), a show about firing off big weapons, hosted by an actor most famous for playing a sadist in “Full Metal Jacket.”
Perhaps these networks are taking the “dark” thing just a little too far. I’m a guy, and I’m bummed out just thinking about those line-ups.
Of course, they’re nothing that a 24-hour “Caddyshack” marathon couldn’t cure. Not that anybody’s offering.
Tonight’s other highlights
• A trash compactor recycles the human spirit in a world laid to waste in the 2008 animated fable “WALL-E” (6:40 p.m., Starz).
• Melinda and the case of the haunted soap opera on “Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m., CBS).
• Break-ins target the posh Bel Air neighborhood on “Southland” (7 p.m., NBC).
• A kidnapped girl in Allison’s dreams may relate to a new case on “Medium” (8 p.m., CBS).
• Fans of “Glee” (8 p.m., Fox) can follow commentary from producers and actors, either on screen or via their Twitter accounts.
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